Misool | |
|---|---|
 Matlowtribal chief inauguration ceremony in Fafanlap village, 20 September 2021. | |
| Total population | |
| 8,000 (2007)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Indonesia (Misool Island) | |
| Languages | |
| Matlow (native) Papuan Malay andIndonesia | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (almost entirely) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Matbat • Biga • Ma'ya |
TheMatlow people (Matbat Lautlit. 'Sea Matbat'),[2] also known as theMisool,Matlou,Matlouw,Matlaw,Matlau, orMatlauw, is anethnic group onMisool Island inRaja Ampat,Southwest Papua, Indonesia.[3] They are one of theMa'ya sub-ethnic groups recognized in the large meeting of the Bomberai Traditional Council. However, their recognition has sparked controversy, especially among theMatbat people who consider them to be part of them and not a separate ethnic group.[4]
All or almost all of the Matlow (Misool) people areMuslims and have long abandoned some of their native customs and traditions. This is different from the Matbat people in the interior, who are predominantlyChristians and still maintain their customs and traditions. From a linguistic perspective, the languages spoken by the Matbat and Matlow peoples are also different even though they are neighbors. Likewise, theBiga people from the nearby Biga village also share similar settlement patterns, livelihoods, and other lifestyles with the Matbat people, a native Papuan culture. However, the Biga and Matbat differ in many ways, so these two ethnic groups are also considered different.[5]
The name "Matlow" comes from two words, namelymat meaning 'people' andlou,low,lau, orlaw meaning 'sea', which refers to those who live on the coast or at sea. Meanwhile, "Matbat" comes from the wordmat meaning 'people' andbat meaning 'interior', which refers to those who live in the interior of forests and mountains.[2]
According to folklore, especially theMatbat people, the Matlow people are coastal people or foreigners who have a long history in the Matbat people's territory (Batan Mee) inMisool. It is said that Matlow is part of Matbat, expressed in the words "if Matlow eats then Matbat eats, and vice versa".[2][6]
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The Matlow people, also known as the Misool people, migrated toMisool Island hundreds of years ago and are a ethnic group that has experiencedethnic mixing over time, forming a ethnic group with its own identity. They were originally thought to have come fromWaigeo Island, which some experts call theMa'ya people, both in terms of culture and language, but they have also experienced mixing with ethnic groups from theMaluku Islands such asSeram,Tobelo,Tidore, andTernate. This can be seen from the physical appearance of the inhabitants of this ethnic group, as well as from the speech history of the Matlow (Misool) people itself.[5]
TheMatbat people, who were the first to arrive, as the island's indigenous inhabitants, called the Misool people as theMatlou orMatlow, which means 'coastal people'. They inhabit the southeastern part of the island, where the language spoken is called Misool or Matlow. Their villages are Waigama (it is located far to the west, separated from the other Matlow villages), Lilinta, Fafanlap, Kafopop (Kayerepop), Gamta, Yellu, Dabatan, Harapan Jaya, and Usaha Jaya. In general, the villages they built were slightly larger than the villages of the indigenous Matbat and the population is also slightly larger than the population of the Matbat villages. They lived mixed together on the coast with the immigrant communities that came later.[5]
The population ofMa'ya inMisool Island (excluding theBiga people) is divided into two large ethnic groups, namelyMatbat or Matlei (Matbat Daratlit. 'Land Matbat'), which are spread across the villages of Magey, Temulol (Tomolol), Folley, Lenmalas, Atkari, Salafen, Aduwei, and Kapatcol. Meanwhile, Matlow (Matbat Lautlit. 'Sea Matbat') is spread across the villages of Fafanlap, Kafopop (Kayerepop), Yellu, and Gamta,[7] then there are also in Waigama, Lilinta, Dabatan, Usaha Jaya, and Harapan Jaya, as well as migration inSalawati Island, especially in the villages ofSailolof and Samate.[8] The Matbat and Matlow peoples in Gamta, Magey, and Yellu villages share the same lineage. The people of the villages of Magey and Gamta are often called "Matbat Gam", because they live in the Gam River basin.[7]
The villages inhabited by the Matlow people are located on the coast. It is not surprising that they live in coastal villages where there is ethnic diversity, most of the Matlow villages are inhabited side by side with other indigenous people ofRaja Ampat, especially Matbat. Apart from that, the villages of Harapan Jaya and Yellu, which are also inhabited by the Matlow people, most of the residents whose migrants come fromMaluku, especially fromSeram Island. The Matlow villages are all predominantlyMuslims, unlike the Matbat villages which are predominantlyChristians.[9]
On 6–9 February 2019, in a large meeting by the Bomberai Traditional Council (Dewan Adat Bomberai), which was attended by the Ma'ya Tribal Council (Dewan Adat Suku Ma'ya; DAS Ma'ya), the Regional Governments of the Bomberai Traditional Region (Pemerintah Daerah se-Wilayah Adat Bomberai), theHouse of Representatives-Papua Special Autonomy (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat-Otsus Papua; DPR-Otsus Papua), the Papuan People's Assembly-West Papua (Majelis Rakyat Papua-Papua Barat; MRP-PB), and all representatives of the Bomberai Traditional Region, confirmed that the Matlow people is recognized as part of theMa'ya people. However, it received opposition from several elements and figures ofMatbat people.[10]
The inauguration of thetribal chief and recognition of the Matlow people in Fafanlap village, carried out on 20 September 2021, was met with rejection from the Matbat-Misool (Batan Mee) Indigenous Legal Community (Komunitas Masyarakat Hukum Adat Matbat-Misool/Batan Mee). The Matbat people representative, Abidin Macap, through a press release, responded that according to him, the rejection was not an institutional issue, but rather a matter of maintaining cultural wisdom values. It was revealed that the event never involved the Matbat people, which is an indigenous people inMisool. It is also said that there is no Matlow people civilization, only Matbat.[11]
TheMatlow language (Matbat Lautlit. 'Sea Matbat') or also called the Misool language by the Matlow (Misool) people who speak it themselves, is themother tongue of the Matlow people. The Matlow (Misool) language is different from theMatbat language, but related, perhaps a dialect. The speakers areMuslims, spread across the villages of Waigama, Fafanlap, Kafopop (Kayerepop), Gamta, Lilinta, Yellu, Dabatan, Usaha Jaya, and Harapan Jaya. This language is also used by Matlow migrants inSalawati, such as in the villages ofSailolof and Samate.[8]
Internally, the native inhabitants ofMisool Island use three different languages, the Matlow people uses the Matlow (Misool) language, while the Matbat people use the Matbat language. On the other hand, Matbat people can use Matlow (Misool) language to communicate with their neighboring ethnic groups, but Matlow people cannot speak Matbat language. Likewise, Biga people can speak the Matlow (Misool) language in addition to theBiga language, but not vice versa. So it can be said that the Matlow (Misool) language is more often used for communication between the native people on Misool Island.[5]
The Matlow people are one of theMa'ya sub-ethnic groups most closely identified withIslam. Almost all, if not all, of them areMuslims. This is related to the process ofIslamization and acculturation during theTidore andTernate sultanates, which came fromNorth Maluku. Intermarriage between the indigenous people ofMisool, namelyMatbat, and immigrants from North Maluku formed a coastal Muslim community known as Matlow people.[12]
The Matlow people, who live along the coast, celebratesom when harvest time arrives.Som means 'oath' in theMatbat language. Thissom tradition serves as the opening of thesasi tanah 'land taboo' for theMatbat people, while the Matlow people also call itsasi 'prohibition' or 'taboo'.Som is also calledsamsom in theMa'ya language orfanfan in the Matlow (Misool) language.[2]
TheMuslims ofMisool Island, known as Matlow, has traditions and customs that have been passed down from their ancestors from generation to generation. Among the traditions held by the Matlow people is the tradition carried out in theIslamic month ofSafar or often called in theMatlow (Misool) language, namelySop Safar which means 'Safar bath',carried out by the people of Lilinta village. This celebration is intended to ward off all dangers and diseases that will strike during the month of Safar.Sop Safar is done by leaving the house and drinking fresh water prepared by religious figures who are also calledwaya kawa. This is done by leaving the house from dawn until the afternoon prayer and reciting prayers together. Afterward, they are permitted to return to their respective homes.[13]
Like otherindigenous peoples of New Guinea, they also have clans (fam,marga, orkeret) based onpatrilineal relationships, as follows:[14]
Pulau Misool, Radja Ampat di Papua Barat dihuni oleh warga Muslim terbanyak di Papua. Akulturasi berlangsung antara Islam dan budaya Mat Low. Doa dan salawat dipanjatkan saat pemberian sesaji agar hasil laut terus melimpah.
Menurut cerita kitong juga bagian dari Matlouw, klo itu tidak salah...? Matlouw orang pesisir dan di sebut juga orang luar yg memiliki sejarah panjang di Batanme[sic]... Makanya saya bilang Matlouw bagian dari pada Matbat dan sebaliknya karna[sic] Matbat makan Matlouw juga makan.